TOM PRICE'S IMPRESSIONS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 191, 3 August 1908, Page 4

TOM PRICE'S IMPRESSIONS

I'IUXUES J.N ENGLAND IX TW'EiNXiT tflfiAKS. LETTER nmi m AKUUITH. Asked what lie had admired most in this country, Mi\ "Tom'' Price, rrcmicr of youth Australia, on leaving England aitvr a three month's visit—tile iirsi fur twenty years—replied: "The ladies —and 1 know how to value them, for 1 -have 0110 of the very best. "i have nret members of all parties, and mixed with all .sections of the emuni!»ni(,y, and had a kindly sympathetic welcome everywhere, J.f 1 spoke casually to a man in a public conveyance, and Ivt drop that 1 was J'rom Australia, he would make a little more room and greet me with a smile. In a lusher soj cial scale. 1 was received im only with kindnos, but with intvrest. "Allir being away twenty odd years I still .-im? in tiie great cities the same old trouble—congi-sliun and jiowriy and ■liupelc>snc!ss of the masses. l*ul in the country districts the housing or the working classes is better and the redbrick cottage is a tremendous improvcmellt on the old rubble, two-roomed one The iron and mining indusuivs are considerably improved, and people are much better dressed. Tile moleskin and corduroy of my tinre have given place to neat suits of tweed. Working men arc dressed to-day more as the niddle classes were twenty years ago. "In their houses, 100, the crockery an ! furniture of the working classes arc .reatly improved. While there is room for a tremendous eli'ort on their btflmlj, I feel the hopelessness of dealing with a great population; the eli'ort must be continuous and strenuous before anything can be done. The environment of the centuries makes it dillicult.

"1 thank Heaven thai 1 saw Australia us a working man; there are hopes and possibilities and opportunities 1 there which are not to he found here.' 5 ' JUS. ASQUITH'y MESSAGE. Upon tile subject of Imperialism, Mr. l'riee said: '*' live feeling of Australia towards England is stronger than that of England towards Australia; and the reason for that is that Imperialism here is beginning to get too political instead of national. 1' 'have tried to discountenance that feeling. We should all feel I hat we should live for something ""Jl is Uiv Liberal l'arty who have taken up tliis standpoint, although it is true I have received a letter from ]\li\ Asquitl), in v/hich he sstyS: The (Joverninent of which 1 haw the honor to lie the -head ,desire in every way to draw closer tire ties which unite liie different members uf rhe Kmpire. "Then 1 is, .1 belii-vc, no part of his Majesty's dominions between which ami the .Mother Country there is n more intimate scitsv uf common in-

tcrest and a. more fervent desire to j combine the fulh'st local liberty with tin- binding obligations of Imperial mii(y. than Australia. We here feel that we are at once with you. and you with, uh, in all that is essential to our corporate life/ '"lt will only require a little time" added Jlr. Price, ''for us to make ourselves a power und-'r tile Union Jack: each part, of the Empire will carry its part of the burden of the Empire. J believe in the destiny of white people to rule the world.''